u now. I
have brought you a little book," and he placed it in her hand.

"How good you are, Harry! 'Angel Songs.' How pretty! Now, Harry, you
must read me one of the angel songs."

"I will; but I can't read very well," said he, as he opened the
volume.

But he did read exceedingly well. The piece he selected was a very
pretty and a very touching little song; and Harry's feelings were so
deeply moved by the pathetic sentiments of the poem and their
adaptation to the circumstances of the case, that he was quite
eloquent.

When he had finished, Mrs. Bryant interfered to prevent further
conversation; and Julia, though she had a great deal to say to her
young friend, cheerfully yielded to her mother's wishes, and Harry
reluctantly left the room.

Towards night he was permitted to see her again, when he read several
of the angel songs to her, and gave her a brief account of the events
of his residence in Boston. She was pleased with his earnestness, and
smiled approvingly upon him for the moral triumphs he had achieved.
The reward of all his struggles with trial and temptation was lavishly
bestowed in her commendation, and if fidelity had not been its own
reward, he could have accepted her approval as abundant compensation
for all he had endured. There was no silly sentiment in Harry's
composition; he had read no novels, seen no plays, knew nothing of
romance even "in real life." The homage he yielded to the fair and
loving girl was an unaffected reverence for simple purity and
goodness; that which the True Heart and the True Life never fail to
call forth whenever they exert their power.

On the following morning, Julia's condition was very much improved,
and the physician spoke confidently of a favorable issue. Harry was
permitted to spend an hour by her bedside, inhaling the pure spirit
that pervaded the soul of the sick one. She was so much better that
her father proposed to visit the city, to attend to some urgent
business, which had been long deferred by her illness; and an
opportunity was thus afforded for Harry to return.

Mr. Bryant drove furiously in his haste, changing horses twice on the
journey, so that they reached the city at one o'clock. On their
arrival, Harry's attention naturally turned to the reception he
expected to receive from his employers. He had not spoken of his
relations with them at Rockville, preferring not to pain them, on the
one hand, and not to take too much credit to himself for his